Luther - The Cool Black Review

I’ve been meaning to write a review of this show since I finally saw it months ago. In brief, the show is just EXCELLENT.

Luther is a British psychological crime drama television series starring Idris Elba as the title character Detective Chief Inspector John Luther. A first series of six episodes (Series One) was broadcast on BBC One from May 4 to June 8, 2010. The second series of four episodes (series Two) was shown on BBC One in summer 2011. The second series is set to debut on BBC America in September.

Idris Elba’s “Stringer Bell” was my favorite character on The Wire (you can read more about that here), owing much to the performance of Mr. Elba. As much as I thought his performance as Stringer was very good, his performance as DCI Luther was outstanding!

A personal pet peeve of mine is a lot of foreign actors getting major roles in American television and film, well maybe the American actors need to step their game up because the British actors on Luther were for the most part excellent. Of particular excellence was Ruth Wilson (pictured below) as Alice Morgan.

Ruth Wilson

The scenes between Alice and Luther are ELECTRIC. That’s all I want to say about that for you should see it for yourself.


Idris Elba as DCI Luther and Ruth Wilson as Alice Morgan

 I must also note that the direction and cinematography was great as well. Even though I thought the climax of Series One (2010) was kind of rushed to wrap up the many storylines, I am still looking forward to Series Two in September.

Any fan of really good police drama should see this show!

Related Post-
The Wire-My Favorite Season

Related link-

Luther Official Web Page

Idris Elba talks about his nominations, previews 'Luther' Season 2

Idris Elba

Emmys 2011: Idris Elba talks about his nominations, previews 'Luther' Season 2
- From Inside the Box - Zap2it.com
Joel Keller - August 17, 2011

The television academy was very kind to Idris Elba this year, bestowing him two nominations for two very different roles. He received a guest actor in a comedy nomination for playing Lenny, Laura Linney's very romantic love interest in"The Big C," and a mini-series lead actor nomination for his searing work as the troubled DCI John Luther in the BBC America series "Luther."

Elba spoke to Zap2it from his native England about the Emmy nods and how he approaches such different roles, and why "The Wire" never got any Emmy love. He also talks about the second season of "Luther," which has already aired in the U.K. and is set to debut on BBC America in September.

Zap2It: Which of the two nominations was the more pleasantly surprising to you?

Idris Elba: The one for "The Big C." They were both surprises, but "Big C" was more surprising, just because I didn't expect it. I hadn't seen the performance, and I wasn't sure that even... I don't know, I just didn't expect to get nominated for just a guest appearance. It was four episodes; I didn't even know I was eligible.

Did you know about the guest actor Emmy category?
No I didn't. I didn't know that. And it's for comedy, I think, right? So that was a real surprise.

How familiar are people in England with the Emmys?
Some people in the industry know, but generally, I don't think they know much about the Emmys.

At least did your fans or people that you knew in the industry there know you were up for an Emmy for "Luther?"
No. In general, no. I just got back to England; I'm here now, and I went out yesterday and saw some actors I knew and they knew, and I told my parents, but generally, no, it's sort of gone under the radar.

What drew you to the role in "The Big C?"
I never get to play romantics, and my character was a real romantic. He wasn't a hard man or a man who was anxious, he was just a lover, and it was kind of refreshing to play. And I just wanted to work with Laura Linney, as well; it was a joy to do that.

Do you tend to get roles that lean more towards the intense, like Stringer Bell or John Luther, or is it more of a mix?
I aim for a mix with acting. I assure in my life's work [that] I want to have the range of different characters that I play: comedy, straight, intense modes, whatever it is. But I don't particularly target one type of role, just to keep me on my toes, I think. So it's quite ironic that in this year's Emmys that two different spectrums of performances happen to be nominated. Which for me, win or lose, it's a sense of achievement that's incredible for me, so I'm excited by that.

Do you approach a role like the one in "The Big C" the same way as you do a more intense role?
It's actually the same. There's always some [consideration of] what they do and how I bring them to life, but there's not much difference there. Luther is a bit more physically demanding of a character, so there's definitely sort of a desire to get myself into shape to play him. Cosmetically he has a look. But by and large, the approach is the same.

Luther's look to me seems like he's a beaten down man in a lot of ways.
Right, he's a man that definitely carries a lot on his shoulders, and that definitely takes a lot of dedicated work, when you read scripts and doing the scene. A lot of emotional investment goes into it.

How do you as an actor get to the point where you're conveying that message that Luther's got a lot on his shoulders?
Honestly, it's the script and the scenes and all that. So for me, it really is a just a matter of applying myself to whatever the scene is. Some scenes are lighthearted, some are a bit more procedural, and some are full-on emotion. So I really take my beats from what the scene requires. It's the rules of engagement, if you know what I mean, and I take it from the script.

Do you know which episode of "Luther" you're going to be submitting to the academy?
I'm not sure exactly, to be fair; my agents and I have discussed it. But I'm probably going to do the second or third episode... no, no, no... probably the third or fourth episode of "Luther."

Any particular reason why those episodes?
I would suspect that there was full-on... you know, there's no re-introduction to the character. In those episodes, Luther is in the middle of a really, really high-pressure situation in London, chasing these guys, and it's has some great scenes in it, some great moments. So I think if we're going to send anything it'll probably be in that area.

Without giving too much away, where does the story of "Luther" pick up in the second season?
It sort of gives you a little bit of a time jump, but not too much. Luther is back at work, basically, and has been repositioned at work, and he's carrying a lot of the angst from last season. It's not in the too distant future, but it's a little bit of a time jump. Basically you see him trying to get on with his life, back to work doing the thing that he loves, and that's where we pick him up.

Are there any leftover effects from the first season's storyline?
When you pick him up, we don't continue exactly, but the residue of that season starts to seep in, and you start to see traces of what happens in the new season. But we jump time so we don't have to explain "this is what happened next," because it would be boring and obvious. But you do start to see the residue of what happened.

Does any part of the case of Ruth Wilson's character of Alice come to the fore or is she still just serving as the "serial killer whisperer" to Luther?
I don't want to give away a lot, but she definitely comes back, and her journey picks up after she... if I tell you, then it gives it away. Do you want me to tell you?

Go up to the edge of where you think you're going to spoil it, then stop...
She comes back and she's certainly meaningful in Luther's life. You see a bit of that in this season; not as much as maybe you might think, but you do see Luther's attraction to her.

Coming back to that role, especially after doing some of the other lighter stuff, was it tough to get back in John Luther's shoes again?
It was familiar territory coming back, and it is like an old friend, because I know the character really well. So it wasn't too difficult to get back into the swim of things. Luther's evolved a bit from the last [season], so I just sort of had to bring him back from where he left off, play a new strand of angst, if you like, for this character.

When you're playing a heavy role like Luther, is it tough to leave work at work? I've spoken to actors who say playing intense roles like that is physically tiring for them.
Yes, it is very exhausting, definitely. It's a very emotionally draining character to play. Luther is in practically 80 percent of the show, so I'm in every day as an actor, first thing in and last thing out. And the range of emotions you go through can definitely drain you.

Was it the same when you were on "The Wire"?
I can't even remember [laughs]. I just know that that wasn't the same because I wasn't a lead character, I was just sort of in scenes and out of scenes.

Why do you think "The Wire" never got any Emmy attention?
There must be a multitude of possible reasons why. I guess it was... not ignored, but it just slipped under the radar. "The Wire" isn't popular in terms of [it being] a spoon-feed of a television show. You had to invest in it. It's like a really thick book; you really have to want to read it. I don't know anything about the Emmys, as I've said quite clearly, but I suspect that the popular shows, the shows that are easy to digest, are the ones that get circulated more. I've heard stories of people that love "The Wire," and it took them forever to get into it, and there was others that just got it immediately. So again, I wouldn't want to speculate as to why it got ignored, but it's not a coffee [table]-book kind of show; it's a show that you want to invest in.

You mentioned a year ago that the writers of"The Office" might bring back your character Charles Miner, but that didn't happen. Is there still a possibility you might come back?
There's definitely the want to... I'd love to go back to the show and do some more. But it is all about scheduling, and whether the character fits into what they're doing there. So the possibility is always there, and the producers and I have always sent e-mails back and forth saying "When? How? Could we? We'd love to have you back," that type of thing. So the possibility is definitely there, just a matter of really "if"... if we can make it happen.

Related post-
Luther - The Cool Black Review

Tyler Perry replaces Idris Elba in Reboot

Tyler Perry in, Idris Elba out of Alex Cross reboot: Producer explains why -- EXCLUSIVE

by Mandi Bierly -Entertainment Weekly | Popwatch

Feb 1, 2011 - 06:15 PM ET
Last August, when news broke that The Wire‘s Idris Elba was to follow in the footsteps of Morgan Freeman (Kiss the Girls and Along Came a Spider) and reboot the James Patterson detective character Alex Cross on the big screen, we were psyched — and this was before we’d seen his Golden Globe-nominated turn as a detective in the miniseries Luther. EW chatted with Elba last October about the film, which was to then have been directed by David Twohy (A Perfect Getaway, Pitch Black), and all he would reveal was that the script was “phenomenal” and if he could pick his dream costar/nemesis, it’d be Joaquin Phoenix. So cut to the news today that cameras will be rolling this June on I, Alex Cross with Tyler Perry in the titular role and director Rob Cohen (The Fast and the Furious and xXx) at the helm. What happened?

Elba’s rep had no comment, but Bill Block, CEO of QED International (District 9), which acquired the rights and the initial script by Kerry Williamson and Patterson late last year (and hired Marc Moss, who worked on the previous Cross films, to refine it for Perry and Cohen), just filled us in: “When we came on, we looked at it freshly, and just built it from the bottom up,” he tells EW. “Sure, Idris is a great actor; Tyler Perry is a phenomenon. Tyler Perry is one of the most significant entertainers in all of media. He is a huge cross-media talent and presence — and he’s a terrific actor whose range is going to be shown here. You’re going to see Tyler Perry like you haven’t seen him. He’s 6’5″, he is a linebacker. He is an awesome physical presence and is just going to tear it apart here. It’s an intense, dramatic role.” Block says the film — “a kickass, crusading action picture” — will be the first of several Alex Cross films. “This is going to be the new Tyler Perry franchise, a worldwide one,” he says. “That’s the other thing: Tyler Perry is going to take this to the worldwide audience. It’s just a very different, much bigger opportunity.” (It’s worth noting that Block was, in fact, phoning us as he arrived at the airport, about to fly to the European Film Market in Berlin to sell global distribution rights.) “We went to him,” Block says. “If you can get Tyler Perry or Will Smith, you try.”

Now I imagine most people, myself included, think of Elba and Perry as being two very different actors, and naturally find this to be a bemusing, almost amusing turn of events. The question is: Are you more or less interested in the film now? With Elba, I was looking forward to him getting a quality leading man role with mass appeal and bringing some heat. With Perry, I’m curious to see how he’ll handle a serious car chase (I assume there will be one), and whether his Madea fans will follow him when the makeup in the movie isn’t drag but deadly. Yes, we’ll all be dying to see the trailer. But is it the kind of curiosity that’s satisfied in two minutes or two hours?

While you ponder those questions, I’ll leave you with this: You can critique an actor’s performance after the film opens, but you can’t ever fault someone for wanting to try something new and show his range. I have no idea what kind of relationship Elba has with Perry, who directed him in 2007′s Daddy’s Little Girls, but that notion is something I’m confident Elba would agree with (at least on some level). Talking to us last October about the diversity in his credits, Elba said, “I would never be fearful of any character. I think there’s a tendency for actors like myself, and I don’t mean to generalize myself, but I’ve played ‘men’s men,’ if you will, characters that are simmering [with] rage and calculated. There’s a trend not to play anything that is opposed to that. I remember when I left Stringer [on HBO's The Wire], one of the films I did was Tyler Perry’s Daddy’ Little Girls, which was about a man doting over his three little girls. I remember there was talk, ‘Why? Why would you do that? Play gangsters. Play ruthless.’ It’s really funny because the same people who loved me as Stringer Bell were the same people that were watching Daddy’s Little Girls literally in tears. Some people don’t like the film, but some of the guys that came up to me and said, ‘Yo, I want to see you play gangsters’ were the same ones that were in tears because they had either strained relationships with their children, or they loved their children so much and they were watching a character that they could relate to. I don’t mind playing characters that are opposite of what people think I am.”

The Wire-My Favorite Season

By Cool Black AKA Dankwa Brooks

Almost a year after the series ended, I watched my favorite season of The Wire again. That season was season three. If you can believe it, some people still haven't seen The Wire so I will try not to give too much away for if you haven't seen this excellent show, you really should. Each year the producers of the show try to showcase a theme. Noted by the producers as the season about "reform" it could be probably best summed up by "Hamsterdam" or as the season they "legalized drugs". That was the main thrust of the season, but it encompassed so much more.

For those who don't know,

The Wire was an American television drama series set in Baltimore, Maryland, where it was also produced. Created, produced, and primarily written by author and former police reporter David Simon, the series was broadcast by the premium cable network HBO in the United States. The Wire premiered on June 2, 2002 and ended on March 9, 2008, with 60 episodes airing over the course of its five seasons.

(From Wikipedia. All hyperlinks go to Wikipedia.)

Each season of The Wire focuses on a different facet of the city of Baltimore. They are, in order: the drug trade, the port, the city government & bureaucracy, the school system, and the print news media.

This was the first season I can say that EVERY facet of the storytelling was fascinating. In a show like The Wire with so many characters and subplots there are some storylines that aren't that interesting (Season Two anyone?). For the entire run of the series The Wire has always given equal time to the police, the criminals and all of the politics both enterprises involved and in this season both sides were compelling.

On the police side we had a police commander nearing retirement and tired of failed police initiatives decides a drastic new strategy, legalizing drugs. We see the entire arc of this play out from the initial reticence from the police and the criminals to the eventual ramifications and political fallout.

On the criminal side we see their commander, Avon Barksdale, a recently released drug kingpin reasserting control and engaging in a war with an upstart young rival. We also see the conflict he has with his partner and second in command Stringer Bell over the direction of their enterprise. This conflict and eventual fallout was one of the standouts of an already stellar season.

We also get a look at the political side of the infrastructure; we get to see the political machinations of Councilman Thomas Carcetti's run for mayor. We see the ins and outs of the backroom wheeling and dealing as well as his strategy to split the vote of Baltimore majority black population so that he can slide into office. Divide and conquer so to speak.

You would think that with all of these intertwining storylines the introduction of a new character wouldn't be relevant, but it was. When they introduced the character of Dennis "Cutty" Wise I though it was a waste of time. This was the third season of an already character rich show and we had SO many great existing characters why in the hell do we need one more? Well it seems the producers knew what they were doing. During this season's thirteen episodes we saw the full arc of someone who had to readjust to society, after a fourteen-year prison sentence, and see where he fits in this new world. The character was also given more resonance through the melancholy performance of his portrayer Chad L. Coleman (pictured left). We saw Cutty in prison, get out of prison, try to return to his former life and then find a path in his new life all in one season.

My favorite character on the show had to have been Stringer Bell portrayed by Idris Elba (pictured left). One of the most intelligent characters on the series, and had it not been for his impoverished beginnings, could have been a legitimate businessman. I know “legitimate businessman” is kind of an oxymoron in this economy, but bear with me. While Avon was “the boss”, it was Stringer who carried out the machinations of the organization and did it with incomparable precision. Avon didn’t (or couldn’t concern himself) with the day-to-day operation of the organization. In business terms Avon was the CEO and Stringer the COO. Whenever Stringer was on the screen it was no doubt who was in command of the situation, a command only heightened by the bravura performance of Idris Elba.

You can see TWO examples of what I described below (contains EXPLICIT LANGUAGE)





In this already stellar season, my favorite storyline was the conflict within the Barksdale empire. The heads of the Barksdale empire, Avon Barksdale and Stringer Bell partnered in the drug trade during their teens now full blown kingpins. Avon Barksdale was a gangster to the core. He not only liked the domination that came with his criminal empire, but also the warfare that came with it. His partner Stringer Bell liked the money and power that came with the empire, but sought to do more legal things with it. Stringer did what he had to do to gain and hold onto their power he just didn’t relish in the dirty side of it like Avon. When the new upstart Marlo Stansfield started coming into power, Avon wants to go to war, while Stringer doesn’t want the extra attention from the police if a gang war breaks out. This conflict widens the already emerging gap between the friends. The eventual fallout and final scenes between the two were some of the best of the entire series.


Below is one of the scenes from what I described above. (contains EXPLICIT LANGUAGE)





Many critics and fans alike allege that Season Four (the one with the kids) was the best. While equally excellent I don't think it excelled on every storyline, every character, every level like Season Three. I thought it was the best then, but even after a repeated watching and after seeing every episode of the entire series, it remains so.